AD4803 (Street): 6 Practitioner's
- taylorsadie971
- Mar 5, 2021
- 4 min read
1. Christopher Agou - Life Below
Christopher Agou is a street photographer who was fascinated by the truth of people on the underground. This led to him taking pictures of people on the underground in New York from 2001 to 2009. He enjoyed taking photos of people because it showed the "depth of what it is to be human". This series of his is inspired by another photographer called Walker Evans, who took over 600 photos on the underground from 1938 to 1941. Below I have inserted four of my favourite photos from his series and i have talked about some key elements relating to them:
The main thing i like about Christopher Agou's work is how he has made the underground seem calm and relaxing, choosing to focus on peoples expressions. This is ironic as typically when people think about the underground they tend to relate it be busy and fast moving. I think that one of the main elements of his photographs that has taken this element away is how he has turned his photos black and white.
2. Nils Jorgensen - Candid
I have also been looking at photographer, Nils Jorgensen's work. In particular I have found his candid shots interesting, this is due to him looking for "low-key overlooked beauty". I think this is strongly seen in his work due to the photos not looking staged and being of what people may not look at. Another style Nils Jorgensen likes to follow is taking photos showing humour, however he doesn't go out and look for this. He has been inspired by the likes of well known photographers such as: Elliott Erwitt and Tony Rae Jones. As well as these photographers, Jorgensen has also been influenced by poets such as Philip Larkin. This is due to him showing understanding towards the ordinary.
The main thing i like about Nils Jorgensen's work is how he uses colour. I think that this has made the photos more simple, but in an effective way. This is because in his photos he has used a "pop of colour" against plain colours such as white and beige. You are able to see the impact of Elliott Erwitt because they both photograph things that other people may not see.
3. Paul Russell - Beside the Sea
Paul Russell is a documentary photographer set in Weymouth. He focus on taking pictures of beach resorts, which is where he grew up, however he doesn't tend to show nostalgia to this in his photos. Paul Russell focuses on showing an "unrealistic" but humorous look to his photos. He does this because of the stereotypical love-hate relationship between British people and the coast. What i like about Paul Russell's work is how he has made the most of 'British Lighting' including days where the sky is quite grey.
The main thing i like about Paul Russell's photos above is that he has considered using colour in his photos but has also used the limited colour palate of Britain. The reason i like the way he uses colour is because he hasnt been using dull colours, which is typically what you will find around England.
4. Bruno Quinquet - The Salaryman Project
Bruno Quinquet is an award winning french photographer. His project "The Salaryman" shows anonymous Japanese workers. In his photos he makes his subjects unrecognisable by hiding their faces behind smoke, objects or shadows. This is due to laws against having photos published without the subjects permission. I think that this also shows the "stereotypical" work wear of business men because of them all wearing the same clothing. Another thing which stands out to me in his work is the use of colour and light.
The main thing i like about his work is his use of contrast and bright colour, if i am able to find these sorts of colours in the UK then i will wnat to follow a similar technique to show the colour. I also like the idea of hiding the faces that Bruno Quinquet has used . This is because it has led to a repetition of men in these black suits.
5. Susan Meiselas - A Room of Their Own
Susan Meiselas is the photographer of a project known as "A Room of Their Own". This project addresses women in a refuge. Sarah Meiselas allows the woman to tell their own story whilst she photographs their living situation. She has got their story across by taking photos of their living spaces. Throughout her project the recurring theme of colour has been used. This makes the photos more interesting to the eye.
The main thing i like about this work is how the photographer, Susan Meiselas has still managed to tell this story but by using rooms and objects. I also like how colour has been used but theres not much contrast. This gives her photos a much more comforting look, making the rooms look more homely to us and the viewer,
6. Larry Sultan - Pictures From Home
Larry Sultan created a book from this project. In the first chapter talks about parts of him growing up in this house. For his project he would take photos of his parents around familiar places in his house. The reasoning behind him wanting to photograph his parents is because unknown however, he just talks about how he wants his parents to live forever. This shows that he has a love for his parents and the place he grew up.
The Main thing i like about Larry Sultan's work is how he shows his own family. I like how this has been done because has used his parents as much as possible across his project. I think that you can see an essence of his work in my own 30 day brief as i have been photographing the outside of peoples houses in the area around me.
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